HOA Trash Rules Were a Joke, So He Found A Way To Never Pay For Garbage Service

Getting around HOA rules can feel like a game to some people, especially when the system seems poorly designed.

So, what would you do if your neighborhood’s garbage setup made it easy to avoid paying for the service entirely? Would you go along with the system? Or would you use the workaround to save some money?

In the following story, one former resident confesses how they used their HOA’s poor planning to their advantage. Here’s how they pulled it off.

Confess your HOA shenanigans

Okay, I have to confess — for my entire six years living in an HOA community, I’ve never paid for garbage service. Ha! I have since moved out, so I’m talking about recent history, not current events.

The homes were so tight next to each other that the bins were always lined up only 20 feet apart every week. I realized how silly this was at the beginning (soon after construction) when I first moved in. I saw the trucks “inching along” on the private driveways.

Everyone was clueless. Original planners/ architects/developers didn’t care and didn’t plan for it. New owners were first-time buyers. The garbage company had no say. Truck drivers only did their jobs. The property mgr was “not their concern.”

He used the design to his advantage.

So, I simply put my trash/ recyclables/ veggie waste into my neighbors’ bins every week.

I’m an early riser, regardless. I took out my trash in the morning on the day of pickup instead of the evening before. This way, nobody notices, nobody needs to know, nobody is inconvenienced. Maybe truck drivers even appreciate one fewer set of bins.

Saved probably, what, $300 per year?

Nice! This is a classic move!

Let’s see what the fine folks over at Reddit had to say about his actions.

A collection of pink flamingos it is.

They’re playing a long game.

Nice try, but this person’s plan failed.

This person always votes no, regardless.

The layout should’ve been planned better.

Can’t knock someone for using wits to get around the system, especially if it means saving money!

If you liked that story, check out this post about an oblivious CEO who tells a web developer to “act his wage”… and it results in 30% of the workforce being laid off.